Activists Flood Government Agencies With FOIA Requests in Tribute to Aaron Swartz

In honor of the transparency fights that coder and internet activist Aaron Swartz led while alive, an online records processing service has submitted more than 100 public records requests on behalf of members of the public.

Muckrock, a site that processes public records requests for a fee on behalf of journalists, lawyers, activists and others, decided to waive its fee (generally $20 for five requests) last week and offer to submit federal Freedom of Information Act requests for free to honor Swartz, who committed suicide earlier this month.

The site received 153 requests during the week the offer was open. About 35 of those were Privacy Act requests, submitted by people who wanted to obtain files and records pertaining to themselves that are held by the FBI and other federal agencies. But there were also records requests for documents pertaining to the Tar Sands Blockade, to the controversial Guantanamo Bay prison and to the Occupy protests. With regard to Privacy Act requests, the site didn’t submit them, but advised those who wanted to submit them how to do so.

Michael Morisy, Muckrock cofounder, said his group follows up on requests automatically until a response is received and also posts any documents received online – excluding documents obtained through Privacy Act requests or those obtained by journalists who want the documents withheld under embargo until they can write a story about them.